Compare Countries
Select up to 4 countries for side-by-side comparison
Introduction
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Background | <p>In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries, this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous cultur... | <p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Baekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over m... |
Geography
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula | Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea |
| Area | 377,915 sq km | 99,720 sq km |
| Climate | varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters |
| Terrain | mostly rugged and mountainous | mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south |
| Natural resources | negligible mineral resources, fish | coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
| Elevation | Mount Fuji 3,776 m | Halla-san 1,950 m |
People and Society
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 123,201,945 (2024 est.) | 51,486,343 (2025 est.) |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Religions | Shintoism 48.6%, Buddhism 46.4%, Christianity 1.1%, other 4% (2021 est.) | Protestant 17%, Buddhist 16%, Catholic 6%, none 60% (2021 est.) |
| Age structure | 12.1% (male 7,701,196/female 7,239,389) | 11.3% (male 3,024,508/female 2,873,523) |
| Median age | 50.2 years (2025 est.) | 47 years (2025 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.45% (2025 est.) | -0.09% (2025 est.) |
| Birth rate | 6.84 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) | 4.29 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) |
| Death rate | 12.04 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) | 6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 85.2 years (2024 est.) | 83.4 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy | — | NA |
Government
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Government type | parliamentary constitutional monarchy | presidential republic |
| Capital | Tokyo | Seoul |
| Independence | 3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 11 February 660 B.C. (mythological date of Emperor JIMMU founding the nation); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy) | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
| Constitution | previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947 | several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988 |
| Legal system | civil law system based on German model; also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts | mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought |
Economy
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | — | — |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | — | — |
| GDP - real growth rate | — | — |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.74% | 2.32% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.45% | 2.68% |
| Industries | motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods | electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel |
| Agriculture - products | — | — |
| Exports | $917.04 billion | $831.89 billion |
| Imports | $952.04 billion | $755.49 billion |
| Public debt | 215.9% of GDP (2022 est.) | 49 % of GDP |
Communications
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 219 million (2023 est.) | 89.2 million (2024 est.) |
| Internet users | 87% (2023 est.) | 97% (2023 est.) |
Military and Security
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 1 % of GDP | 3 % of GDP |
| Military and security forces | Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF; includes aviation), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF; includes naval aviation), Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF) (2025) | Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea: Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN, includes Marine Corps, ROKMC), Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)<br><br>Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Korea Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior and Safety: Korean National Police Agency ... |
Transportation
| Field |
Japan |
South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 280 (2025) | 92 (2025) |
| Railways | 27,311 km (2015) | 3,979 km (2016) |
| Roadways | — | — |